News Releases and Announcements

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2004

October 13, 2004

Two East Asian Scholars to Assist Declassification Work of Interagency Working Group

College Park, MD. . . The U.S. Interagency Working Group charged with locating and declassifying federal records dealing with Nazi and Japanese World War II war crimes has added two East Asian experts to the roster of historians who are aiding the effort. Steven Garfinkel, chair of the Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Interagency Working Group (IWG), announced the appointment of Dr. Carol Gluck, of Columbia University, to the IWG's Historical Advisory Panel and Dr. Daqing Yang, of The George Washington University, to the team of independent historians who consult for the IWG. (more)

May 13, 2004
Thousands of Intelligence Documents Opened under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act

Historians' Book Details New Accounts of the Holocaust and Relationships Allied Intelligence Services Had with War Criminals

Washington, D.C…Hundreds of thousands of pages of FBI, CIA, and U.S. Army intelligence records related to Nazi and World War II war crimes and perpetrators have been declassified and opened to the public under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act of 1998. On May 13, the Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) announced the release, which included approximately 240,000 pages from the FBI, 419 additional CIA name and subject files, and more than 3,000 pages documenting U.S. Army involvement with German spymaster Reinhard Gehlen. (more)

May 13, 2004
Publication of the compilation of the IWG historians scholarly essays: U.S. Intelligence and the Nazis and the release of more than 400 additional CIA files, FBI files, and U.S. Army files.

The declassified files released today relate primarily to Nazi war crimes and war criminals. Released files include 240,000 pages of original FBI files found in categories such as espionage, foreign counterintelligence, domestic security, and treason; CIA Name Files and Subject Files including the names of 788 individuals and subjects in 419 newly-opened files; and the U.S. Army "Gehlen Organization" and "Operation Rusty" Files documenting the Army's involvement with German Spymaster General Reinhard Gehlen. (more)

May 6, 2004
Press Briefing: Government Group Opens Long-Secret Documents under Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act
The Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) will hold a briefing on the release of U.S. Intelligence and the Nazis, a 15-chapter book that discusses hundreds of the millions of documents located, declassified, and released by the CIA, FBI, Army, State Department, and other U.S. agencies under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act. The IWG also will announce the availability of additional records declassified under the Act and open to the public at the National Archives, College Park, Maryland. (more)

2002

May 8, 2002
Opening of CIA Records under Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act
The IWG announced the opening and public availability of Central Intelligence Agency files on 381 individuals and subjects associated with Nazi war crimes or war criminals. The CIA declassified these files under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act (PL 105-246). See the NARA press release for more information on these records. The IWG website provides name and subject files for the newly opened Record Group 263 records at http://www.archives.gov/iwg/declassified_records/record_group_ 263_main.html .

March 20, 2002
IWG Reports to Congress on U.S. Declassification of WWII Japanese War Crimes Records
See the NARA press release regarding the IWG's Interim Report to Congress. The Interagency Working Group, formed under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act of 1998 and the Japanese Imperial Government Disclosure Act of 2000, issued an interim report to Congress describing the government-wide effort to locate, declassify, and make publicly available U.S. records of Japanese war crimes. The report augments an October 1999 report to Congress-also required by statute-on the government's efforts to identify and declassify Nazi war crimes records.

2001

November 30, 2001
Declassified Army Records Spotlight World War II and Post-War Espionage, Intrigue, and Corruption in the Third Reich
See the NARA press release regarding previously classified records of the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC), from 1939 to 1976, which have been made available to the public. The records yield new insights into U.S. Army intelligence gathering during the post war period, including the relationship of both Western and Communist intelligence with individuals clearly implicated as war criminals or associated with war crimes activities. The newly released records also provide greater insight into German wartime intelligence, and the wartime and post-war activities of Japanese military and government leaders.

August 1, 2001
War Crimes Records Interagency Working Group Appoints Two New Historians
Steven Garfinkel, Chairman of the IWG, announced today the addition of Dr. Norman J. W. Goda and Dr. Marlene J. Mayo to the IWG historical research staff.

July 2, 2001
Early Intelligence Record on Nazi Final Solution Discovered in Documents Declassified under Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act
See the press release regarding documents declassified under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act of 1998 are shedding new light on what the American and British intelligence communities knew of Hitler's plans for the Jews early in World War II.

See also Richard Breitman's article on "What Chilean Diplomats Learned about the Holocaust", a report on the release of documents regarding Chilean information.

April 27, 2001
Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act Prompts Rare Release of CIA "Name Files"
The Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) announced the historic opening of the CIA "Name Files", describing it as a significant step toward full disclosure of the dark history of the Nazi regime and postwar involvement by the United States with former Nazi officials.

April 23, 2001
Opening of CIA Records under Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act
The Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) announced a briefing on the release of CIA files of key Nazis declassified under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act (PL 105-246). Under the auspices of the IWG, the CIA has reviewed and declassified 20 "Name Files," including those of Adolf Hitler, Josef Mengele, Adolf Eichmann, Heinrich Mueller, Klaus Barbie, and other important Nazi officials

March 5, 2001
Robert Wolfe to Assist Historical Research Effort
Steven Garfinkel, chairman of the IWG, announced the addition of Robert Wolfe to the IWG's historical research staff. This group advises the IWG regarding the historical context of newly declassified materials. Wolfe had previously served the National Archives for thirty-four years as an archivist specializing in captured German and related records.

February 15, 2001
Steven Garfinkel Named New Chair of War Crimes Records Interagency Working Group
U.S. Archivist John Carlin named Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) Director Steven Garfinkel chair of the Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group (IWG). He is replacing Dr. Michael J. Kurtz who after more than two years with the IWG stepped down from the position to continue his work as Assistant Archivist for Records Services.

2000

October 23, 2000
Edward John Drea to Join Historical Advisory Panel
Dr. Michael J. Kurtz, chair of the IWG, announced the appointment of Dr. Edward John Drea to the Historical Advisory Panel.

October 5, 2000
CIA Intends to Release Records on Cold War Spymaster
Citing the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act, the Central Intelligence Agency filed an affidavit in U.S. District Court acknowledging an intelligence relationship with German General Reinhard Gehlen that it has kept secret for fifty years.

October 3-5, 2000
Vilnius International Forum on Holocaust-Era Looted Cultural Assets took place in Lithuania as a follow-up event to the Washington Conference of 1998.

August 21, 2000
Cleveland Community Meeting: Ohio Senator Mike DeWine and The Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) held a public meeting August 21, at the Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio.

June 27, 2000
Dr. Michael Kurtz, Chair of the Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group (IWG), gave a statement to the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology on the progress of the IWG since its inception in January 1999.

June 26, 2000
Report to the IWG on Previously Classified OSS Records, by Richard Breitman and Timothy Naftali. This report highlights some of the most interesting documents that were declassified as of the June 26, 2000, opening of the OSS records at the National Archives.

June 26, 2000
In a major release of declassified records, the IWG opened for researchers approximately 400,000 pages of previously classified documents from the records of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and its successor the Strategic Services Unit (SSU). The declassified documents include information on OSS sources and methods, which were, according to Michael Dobbs of the Washington Post, the "crown jewels of the American wartime intelligence operation."

June 19, 2000
World War II Intelligence Documents To Open at National Archives
In a major release of declassified records, the Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) will open approximately 400,000 pages of declassified Office of Strategic Services (OSS) records. The OSS was the wartime forerunner to the CIA.

May 23, 2000
Linda G. Holmes Appointed to Historical Advisory Panel
Dr. Michael Kurtz, Assistant Archivist at the National Archives and Chair of the Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group (IWG), announced the appointment of Linda Goetz Holmes to the IWG Historical Advisory Panel.

May 23, 2000
IWG Plans Steps Toward Declassification of Japanese War Crimes Records
Dr. Michael Kurtz announced that the IWG will take steps toward the declassification of records related to Japanese war crimes. With this move, the IWG begins the second phase of implementation of the Nazi War Crime Disclosure Act of 1998.

March 23, 2000
German Police Records Opened at the National Archives
Recently declassified German language documents at the National Archives confirm that the Polish government-in-exile in London during World War II received sensitive military information about Nazi Germany from agents and informants throughout Europe.

For more information, go to the description of Miscellaneous German Police Records, 1934-1943.

February 25, 2000
Historians Appointed by the Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group
Dr. Michael Kurtz, Assistant Archivist at the National Archives and Chair of the Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group (IWG), announced the appointment of two historical consultants who will advise the IWG regarding the historical context of the newly declassified materials to be made available under the auspices of Executive Order 13110.

February 24, 2000
Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group Appoints Panel of Experts
The Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group announced the creation of a seven-member panel of experts on Nazi war crimes and criminals, Nazi persecution, and Holocaust-Era assets.

1999

December 14, 1999
National Archives to Open Heinrich Mueller and Arthur Rudolph Files (Record Group 319)
National Archives and Records Administration will open for research case files on Gestapo Chief Heinrich Mueller and German and American Rocket Scientist Arthur Rudolph.

September 27, 1999
The Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) held a public forum at the U.S. District Courthouse, Manhattan, on Monday, September 27, 1999. Detailed information, on the program and the invited participants, is accessible at IWG New York City Open Forum.

September 9, 1999
Interagency Meeting
The Agency Liaison Group implementing the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act held a meeting at the National Archives at College Park on September 9, 1999. This working-level meeting reviewed the recent activities of the IWG, the results of the June 30 and July 30 reports, agency declassification reviews of classified records at the National Archives, procedures for transferring records to the National Archives, and related matters.

August 17, 1999
The Interagency Working Group held a meeting on August 17, 1999 at the National Archives Building, Washington, DC. Topics discussed included the results of a government-wide survey of still classified records that pertain to Nazi war criminals, Nazi war crimes, Nazi persecution, and looted assets; the development of a database to capture information about relevant records; plans for a September 27, 1999 public meeting in New York City; a report on a meeting with members of Congress, and plans for an upcoming Senate hearing. Also, representatives of several agencies reported on relevant records they have identified among their agencies' holdings.

July 12, 1999
The Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) established by President Clinton under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act held its first public forum at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 24, 1999. The forum was held to solicit the advice of scholars and knowledgeable members of the public about wartime and postwar programs, events and individuals that may have led to the creation of security classified records. The event was broadcast via live audio. For copies of papers and testimony see Research Papers.

1998